Do we REALLY have education benefits?

April 4th, 2012, 05:28 PM

Just got this email today in regards to my Federal Tuition Assistance...

Your above sponsor has not paid your scholarship in the amount of $2,754.50 for Spring Semester 2012.

On April 25, 2012 the pending credit on your student account will be cancelled for all unpaid balances from sponsors. After that date, if there is a balance on your student account, you will be billed until the amount due is paid by either you or your sponsor. Non-payment may cause you to incur finance charges and holds on your account, which will prevent you from registering for classes for future semesters. Please let me know if your sponsor sent the scholarship check to you. If you have the check please turn it in to the Bursar’s Office, so that your student account can be cleared.

If you have questions please let me know.

Thank you,

It's worth mentioning that I filed on time and filled out all of the necessary paperwork, to include the commander's signature, statement of intent, class registration, etc. There are so many hoops to jump through, yet I'm starting to think I might be footing this bill. And this isn't the only runaround I'm getting.

I filed for the GI Bill before school started, August of 2011 and still haven't received a single payment. It took them 4 months to get me entered into the system (around January, 2012), another two months to send me a letter of eligibility (March, 2012) and I received a letter last week saying that they'll start paying as soon as they receive verification of attendance from my school (which I know the school sent, I have the confirmation).

Despite doing everything right and on time, the only part of my educational benefits that actually came through this year (not semester, this YEAR) was my state tuition assistance.

Comment

I've never had any problems with FTA. I don't get the GI BILL because technically I have no contract,, yet. Probably it depends somewhat on the school you are attending. I went to Liberty University no problems. In fact I'm about to start another master's degree in counseling, and using FTA, because it leads to a credential. Once I think my state ran out of FTA funds, but I still think it eventually came through.

I think the American Legion can help you get your benefits, am I correct?

Comment

My state tuition has never given me any grief, but the federal tuition assistance always comes down to the wire. The inefficiencies of these processes are astounding to say the least, and sometimes I wonder if they're worth the headache. Consider this:

To qualify for FTA:
Every semester (some per year) you have to sign a Statement of Intent, get your commander's signature, register for classes via GoArmy.ed, file a course of study, pass the online quiz, submit final grades--and hope that they actually pay out. Deadline for FTA is generally 2-3 months before classes even begin, so hopefully your school is timely about putting out the course catalog.

To qualify for STA:
See above, modified as per your state.

To qualify for the GIBILL:
In addition to getting a certificate of eligibility from the VA (a hassle in of itself), you have to file with the school, and apply via WAVE each month to verify your attendance. If the VA and your school aren't talking, then you don't get money.

There are so many bureaucracies involved that it is realistically a coin toss as to whether you'll get paid on time, or paid at all.

Comment

Just got this email today in regards to my Federal Tuition Assistance...

It's worth mentioning that I filed on time and filled out all of the necessary paperwork, to include the commander's signature, statement of intent, class registration, etc. There are so many hoops to jump through, yet I'm starting to think I might be footing this bill. And this isn't the only runaround I'm getting.

I filed for the GI Bill before school started, August of 2011 and still haven't received a single payment. It took them 4 months to get me entered into the system (around January, 2012), another two months to send me a letter of eligibility (March, 2012) and I received a letter last week saying that they'll start paying as soon as they receive verification of attendance from my school (which I know the school sent, I have the confirmation).

Despite doing everything right and on time, the only part of my educational benefits that actually came through this year (not semester, this YEAR) was my state tuition assistance.

This is, by far, the worst part of the National Guard.

/Rant

1. The GI Bill = The Department of Veterans Affairs. It really doesn't have anything to do sirectly with the Guard.

2. The Guard switched systems and now uses goarmyed.com for federal tuition assitance. Is that what you used? DId you upload all your documents properly?

3. The Guard CLEARLY states that tuition assistance is on a first come first serve basis WHEN FUNDING ALLOWS.